The Lady From Williamsburg
by Stolen Cookie the Phone Writer
Summary: In the heart of the Virginian Colonies, lies a history that had been forgotten and burried beneath charred ruins of a Governor's Palace. One Assassin must decide if she can survive the conflicts of war in order to acheive freedom for the Colonists. With a long family history, she must look inside herself to see her worth. Connor,OC
1. Vitoria

**Ehem, I am rewriting most of my stories now…starting with this one. Some of you who are familiar with my work know that I love to play with History and connect the dots so to speak. After much debate with myself (and a little push from watching the Unity trailer over and over again) I decided to take a new turn with this particular story. I realized that I had placed the character of Vitoria in a time where she couldn't really grow. So I will reinvent her. I am not sure if I want a romance between her and Connor or if I want her to join in with the French Revolution at some point. We shall see, because I often let my 'monsters' develop on their own. Now there is a little back story to Vitoria's family in this redo, which I will cover in another story which will most likely be a redo of Eternum. **

**I own nothing, except a few horses, and maybe a silly pony that will make his way into this story somehow. **

_**Williamsburg, Virginia 1775**_

_Dearest Friend,_

_I feel there is unrest here in Williamsburg, something dark and terrible, without a doubt. I do my best to insure that everything is looked after as it should be, but I am getting older and my son is no longer here. My legacy runs true with my dear Vitoria, bless her. She has become very skilled in many things and I feel that if she were to wed that horrid man from Boston, everything we have worked hard for will be gone, for she would murder him is his sleep. She is too bold, but very beautiful. _

_I feel as though she may need help in this world she was born into, but there are so few of our brothers here in the colonies, though I hear there are some of our brothers in the making. Word has reached me that you have taken on an apprentice. Perhaps I will meet him, but then again, there is much to be done here. As much as an old man can do. You and I both know that our time in this world is getting ever shorter and who will be there to remember what little we have done. Not many I suppose, but the impact of what we have done will be felt and seen. _

_It is with great sorrow that I feel my burdens will now be on my daughter's shoulders for I do not see an end to this war. Should I perish, she will have everything and then nothing. This war will kill her, much like it has killed many of our brothers and sisters. _

_My friend, I will keep you informed and should my death occur, my daughter will be in contact. I feel in the next few months, there will be nothing left of me. _

_Your Longtime Friend and Brother, _

_William Charles Grey III of Northumberland_

He read over the letter once more before sealing the envelope with red wax and storing it in the inside of his coat. William, or Will Grey as he was known throughout the city of Williamsburg, was nearing the age of sixty and no one had ever disrespected him in any way. He was a gentleman and since the death of his beloved Nanette sixteen years before, he never remarried. Will had always been a part of Williamsburg and with that in mind; everyone knew who he was, even when walking down the streets of the city. He never cared much for outward appearance, but he did make sure to not look like a poor man only because his daughter would never let him leave the house looking like one.

He could always hear her voice in his head when something didn't look right, for every mishap was corrected with a chide remark about appearance, to which he would grumble in reply. Today though, he was a slight more careful about appearance more so than usual. The Governor, John Murray, had called upon him for a meeting with his fellow statesmen. The Fourth Earl of Dunmore, who was by no means nice or looked out for his people, did however value the opinion of the wealthy men in the city. Most of Williamsburg knew it was no secret that Murray supported the Crown and that everything he did was for the crown, nothing more. Thus it was Will's job to at least let Murray believe he still supported the Crown as well. This was a false pretense as Will had no love for the Crown, nor did he have love for who was manipulating Murray.

"Father?" He heard his daughter's voice as he fiddled with the papers on his desk. Picking up his spectacles to read what was on it.

"Ah. In here My Dear!" He heard the clack of her heels on the wood floor as she strode over to the door and opening it with a smile on her face. "I can't seem to find that bloody document I had with the title for the new workers. Do you remember seeing it?" He put the one in his hand down and flipped over a few more, earnestly looking as she stepped over to his desk and opened the draw. "I know I put it around here somewhere." He grumbled.

"Father, I do remember you putting it in your draw when I handed it to you. After all you do have a nasty habit of shuffling things away when you are busy with something else." She said with a giggle then pulled out a hefty pile of papers out of the draw and dropping them on the desk. "There seems too many of these, I would say about ten or so." He stopped what he was doing and looked at her with a hand on his hip.

"My Dear Vitoria, you are so much like your mother. More organized than myself and with a wit as sharp as a knife." Will said taking his hands and putting them on her cheeks with a smile on his aging face. "No matter, it is most helpful when you are." He kissed her on her brow. "Yes, well, I suppose we should go. Lady Charlotte has asked to see you and we best not be late." He said picking up the stack of documents and shuffling through them.

"No doubt to discuss the next ball. I really hate those dreadful balls, so boring and full of drunken men." Vitoria said, pulling at an auburn curl that had fallen out of her bun. "And the women aren't helpful either."

"Now, now My Dear, don't be too hasty to blow them off. You may meet someone worth your time at one of these balls." Will explained with a twinkle in his grey eyes. Vitoria's sapphire eyes held contempt and disdain as she promptly started to organize her father's desk, annoyed at his jest. "I only want to see you happy." He mumbled.

"You know that I will never be happy when there is so much that needs to be done. I don't want to marry and be a housewife; I want to be like our family. I want to make a difference." She stood up strait after stacking the documents on the corner of his desk and he swore he could see sadness in her eyes. No tears, just sadness at the idea of being caged.

"Oh Vitoria, there will be a day when you will make a difference, but for now I must think about your safety." Will said with the same degree of sadness in his tone but, it had to be an afterthought to his true motive. He really did not want to lose another child to this war. "Even if it means marriage."

Vitoria said nothing, but the message was clear and the mood of the room told her it was the end of the conversation. Though she did not want to admit it, she did know that her father was right. She lost her brother to this war last June and it weighed heavy on her heart that she had not been ready to help him in his struggles. If she had been ready, Thomas would be standing with her today trying to convince their father to reconsider marriage. She missed Thomas dearly.

"Well, we must be going." Will cleared his throat and exited the room, leaving Vitoria to pick up the pieces of her emotions and sort herself out. Today would probably change the rest of her life.

It was no secret that she disliked the Governor, but she did have a love for Lady Charlotte and her children. Though Lady Charlotte was living a life of luxury, she detested the way her husband dealt with the citizens of Virginia. She believed that he was more concerned with himself and where he stood, rather than bring the colonists of Virginia together. However, Vitoria knew that resent for the Crown was already forcing the hand of the Colonists to band together. It was without a doubt, the only option for the people of the colonies.

Putting her thoughts on the matter aside, she smoothed down her cream colored dress and walked out of the room, grabbing the hat she had left on the table outside of her father's study. She let out a breath as she put the cream colored hat with a hunter green ribbon atop her head, forcing any of her curls that had come undone back into place before following her father out the door.

The Grey's mansion was not the biggest but, it was not the smallest. It was off the ground like many of the other houses, with brick pathways leading to the doors on the side and back of the mansion. The siding of the house was white, while the shutters were a dark green. She loved her home, knowing that if she did not marry, it would be hers one day. She even loved the white fence that surrounded her home and the little garden in the back that she lovingly tended to. It was home. If she ever had to leave it would be by force and no other choice.

She looked back at her home before walking to catch up to her father, who was waiting on James to bring the small cart around. When the former slave came around the back leading the small grey cart horse around, Vitoria immediately went up to the horse and stroked her muscular neck.

"Hello Bess." She said with a smile before going to the cart attached to the welsh mare. He father offered his hand as she got in and grabbed the reins, before getting on himself. As soon as Will was seated, Vitoria handed him the reins.

"Walk on Bess." He said and with a flick of his wrist the welsh mare walked forward slowly at first and then with a smooch from Will, she picked up a nice even trot. "I have to say, she is the best little horse."

"She is without a doubt." Vitoria said with a sure tone. Out of their wealth, they had three horses. Bess being the one most often used for getting around Williamsburg, but if they were to go Yorktown or Richmond, the two heavier built warmbloods would pull the carriage. Bess had come from England when her brother had come back from seeing their grandfather years ago and the two warmbloods were gift sent from France by a friend of Will's. Who this friend was, Vitoria had no idea.

Her thoughts went back to her brother as they rode to the Governor's Palace. Thomas had been fifteen years older than her, tall and built lean but, he had enough strength to do things that amazed her. She remembered throughout her childhood that he would come and go from one place to another, sometimes showing up in the middle of the night as silent as a shadow. It wasn't until last year when he did not come home at all that she realized he was never coming back again and after three months, a letter finally arrived saying he had been killed in Boston. She had never cried so hard until that day.

She idly traced the hunter green vine pattern on her dress as the small cart came to a slow stop and then a halt causing her to look up. She had been so deep in thought that she had not known time went by so fast. For all it was worth, the Governors' Palace was perhaps the grandest place in the colony of Virginia. She often dreamed of living there as a child, running around the grounds and in the hedge maze behind the palace. She was often invited by the previous governors to do so with their children, who she still missed. Now, she was nearing eighteen and playing in the hedge maze was looked down upon at her age.

"Lord Grey, Miss Grey." A servant said grabbing onto Bess' bridle as Will got down from the cart, extending his hand to Vitoria, who came down as well. "The Governor is waiting inside." The servant said and Will nodded with a grunt.

"Well, I best be off. Enjoy your talk with Lady Charlotte My Dear." Her father said before walking away, leaving Vitoria to her own devices.

"Miss, Lady Charlotte informed for me to tell you she will be in the gardens as soon as she finishes her current obligation." The servant informed her with an apologetic look and she nodded before making her way to the gardens. Normally to get to the gardens, you would have to go through the Palace, only because it would be in poor taste to go through the servant's quarters or the stables to get to them. She opted to take the route through the servants quarters, opting to hear what they had to say. So deftly, she did so with confidence.

When she opened the heavy wood gate in the brick work, she noticed that most of the servants were either cooking or doing the washing. Some of the women were humming, not paying any attention to her as she made her way down the path that lead to the canal on the side of the property. Taking off her hat, she walked quietly past the kitchen where she heard the cooks talking about how there was a slave rebellion in the making. This was not true. True there was unrest with the slaves, but not from what the Colonists exaggerated it to be. She kept it to herself and continued on her path to the gardens.

Vitoria did not have to wait for very long before Lady Charlotte made her appearance with little Virginia in her arms. She welcomed the Lady and her darling daughter with a smile and they sat together on a bench outside. Lady Charlotte always dressed proper, even though it were at her home on a daily basis, even little Virginia was dressed well in white clothes. Vitoria told the Lady all about what had happened in the last three or four days that concerned the neighbors and how she felt a little staunched in the house. The Lady expressed concern about her husband's lack of attention towards her as of late, which would hopefully be remedied by the ball in three days time.

"Have you heard about the speech Patrick Henry gave in Richmond? I thought it was invigorating, but surely it will cause a revolt." The Lady said, her wavy dark hair blowing slightly in the wind. Vitoria sighed; she knew at this point, anything could cause more of a revolt. Freedom had a price and the price was death.

"Who knows what will happen. I know for one, I will be a witness to it." _Or a contributor._ She thought to herself looking down at her hands, keeping her desire in her heart.

"In any case, I do believe your birthday is approaching. The twenty-fifth I believe." Lady Charlotte said with a smile, changing the subject. It was true, in less than a month, she would be another year older. As it was March already she felt dread that everything was about to change and not for the better. "Do not look so upset, its only another year."

"Of course, how silly of me." Vitoria said with a smile to which Lady Charlotte returned as she pushed one of the auburn curls behind the younger woman's ear.

"Nothing to fear."

It was just before dawn on April 21st when Gregory Bryn discovered that the magazine had been emptied of gunpowder overnight. It seemed to have just vanished because the doors to the magazine had been locked and there was no sign of forced entry. It was a mystery. One that had spread panic throughout Williamsburg, the Grey's however, only saw suspicion. Fifteen half barrels of gunpowder, vanished. It seemed quite odd for something like this to happen in the dead of night with no one around. Then again only one person came to Will's mind on who had the ability to do something like this and there was only one thing to do about it.

This event alone caused the citizens of Williamsburg to lose trust in their Governor, not that they had much trust in him to begin with and Will could see this be a spark to ignite a revolt against the Earl of Dunmore. Will had informed Patrick Henry of the situation and the unrest of the Colonists. The state of Virginia was now in peril, all because of one man.

Vitoria had woken up one night not even two days had passed when there was banging on her front door. She had put on her dress coat and grabbed the candle at her bedside before rushing down the stairs to where her maid, Margaret, stood by the door. Vitoria was glad she had a weapon on her, always.

"Open it Margaret!" Vitoria held her hand behind her back and flicked her wrist. The maid did as she was told and opened the door to reveal a man that the young woman had met a few times before.

"Miss Grey!" The man said letting out a breath upon seeing the young woman. "I am sorry to wake you but Patrick Henry is leading a militia towards the Governor's Palace." A breath hitched in her throat. She had to do something.

"Oh goodness, Vitoria, we must stop this." She heard her father say from behind her as he stood on the stairs. "James, saddle the black horse for Vitoria." Upon her name her sapphire eyes widened. This only meant one thing. She went up to her father and he grabbed her shoulders. "You must get Lady Charlotte and the children out of there. I feel they will be quite terrified."

"Father, does this mean?" Vitoria's voice stuttered and betrayed her true emotions. She was excited, but fearful all at once.

"Yes, but hurry."

It did not take her long to run up the stairs to her room, where under the floorboards of her closet was a long and thin box. Her father had given it to her when she turned sixteen saying it was an heirloom belonging to his great grandmother Emberlyn Grey. She removed the box and set it on her bed, opening it to reveal a black outfit. Vitoria smiled.

Patrick Henry had the crowd marching down the Great Lawn in front of the Palace, torches and muskets at the ready. He was out for blood it seemed, but before any violence came to the family inside the Palace, he meant to reason with Dunmore.

On the inside, Lady Charlotte could not believe what she was seeing. She gathered up her children and locked herself in her dressing chambers, holding them tight while looking out the window. Tears were rolling down her cheeks and her husband was nowhere to be found. She prayed to God to spare her family, to keep them from harm while the shouts of the Colonists became louder and louder. Muskets were being loaded and she stepped away from the windows.

When a shot was fired, little Virginia started to wail and the two other children huddled closer to their mother. Lady Charlotte could hear the front doors open and several footsteps rushing up the staircase and then knocking on the door to her dressing room. She herself started to sob and closed her eyes. Then the door burst open and a window shattered.

A figure in black had come in through the shattered window as several of the militia men came bursting in and everything had gone quiet. Lady Charlotte opened her eyes to see Patrick Henry at a loss for words and the figure in black hunched low, ready for action, but no action came.

"Who are you?" Henry asked once he composed himself. The figure in black with their hood cloaking most of their face stood strait, showing a little bit of a feminine grace. The coat the figure wore fit them snugly and it was the belt under her breasts which told everyone what she was.

"Dunmore is gone." She said in a low voice. "Leave and he will come back for them." She pointed at Lady Charlotte and her children. "Now!" She yelled and Henry nodded, turning away. The men followed him out leaving her and the little family in the room.

"Are we safe?" The older woman asked with a shaky voice, not sure if she should trust the woman in black or not. Seeing this, the woman in black pushed her hood back revealing her auburn hair and sapphire eyes. "Vitoria." The Lady whispered.

"You're safe, My Lady. I'm here to get you out." Vitoria held her hand out to Lady Charlotte who took it with every ounce of trust she had in the girl. "I will get you as far as the Foxwood's home where a carriage is waiting for you, it should take you to Yorktown."

An hour later, after sneaking the family out of the Palace, Vitoria was waving goodbye to Lady Charlotte. She knew they would come back, Dunmore had no choice and when he did come back, she would have a conversation with him. For now, Dunmore was an enemy, a Templar and she, an Assassin.

**That is about as far as I could go for this particular chapter, a lot of history involved, but at least you find out who Vitoria was really meant to be. Even if she is still unsure of herself. For right now, she is very independent from Connor and the other Assassins. You probably won't see Connor until the battle of Yorktown or maybe before. After all, it is only 1775 and Connor is still in his amateur phase of being an Assassin, just like Vitoria. They are technically still in their teens. **

**More to come fellow Assassins! **


	2. Adrift and Broken

**I feel a little repressed…bleh. I promise I will not do so many time jumps and please be patient because a lot of research goes into my stories…a lot of research. I am sorry if this chapter is a little rushed, but as much as I love history, there is just way too much to put in the story (I would probably have 90 chapters by the time I get done if I were to put every detail and event in) and I have to have something to make Vitoria lose her innocence at some point. Might as well be Dunmore's fault. **

_**May 1775 **_

She knew they would come back, but not as a sign of good faith. It wouldn't be long, she supposed, that they would leave again. Dunmore's reputation was all but nothing, either bad or worse than it was before. No sign of good faith would help keep the eyes of the colonists off of the Murray family. Will had told Vitoria to watch out for them, but he feared she would end up deeper in this than he wanted. If Thomas were still alive, she would never be tainted or heartbroken by her own hands covered in someone else's blood. Templar or not.

This night, she stood on the steeple of the church, watching the sleepy city. Vitoria contemplated her part in all of this; asking herself questions. Would she be able to kill when needed? Would she be able to do what she must without changing who she was? The answers never came and it terrified her. She knew she was born into this, but did she truly have the heart for it? Her Father, brother, grandfather, grandmother, all the way back to the Crusades, had done this because it was right. Suddenly, she didn't see it as right. She saw it as senseless.

The Creed had been spoon fed to her since she was a little girl and it wasn't until she was older, that she fully understood the meaning. From her perspective, she was a pawn in a game of chess and there was no escape. Months ago, she was begging to be prominent in the war, now she was scared to death that it would take her sanity away. She felt alone and as if she was underwater. The moment she put on the black outfit and looked at herself in the mirror, she knew she was turning into someone else, but was she prepared to fill the role?

This was not the way it was supposed to be and so, she wept.

Weeks later, she stood in the same spot, watching as Dunmore left the Palace in the middle of the night with his family. Not even the servants knew what was happening. Vitoria was the only witness and in curiosity, she followed the family.

While Vitoria followed the family from a distance on the black horse, she recounted the series of events that Dunmore was responsible for in the last two months. He had threatened to burn Williamsburg to the ground, accuse Patrick Henry of extortion, and went against the House of Burgesses. In the grand scheme of things, Dunmore had only been a martyr for the real problem.

After several hours, she found the family had boarded the HMS Fowey. It was an interesting development, but at least, she could breathe easy for a while. She was wrong. It wasn't long before Dunmore began actively siding with the British navy trying to gain control of the Colony once again.

It was nearing December when Carter Braxton called upon the Grey's for help with the Navy. Ships were amassing off the mouth of York River and Dunmore was in control. There in her father's study, it was decided against her wishes, that she help the Rebels defeat the Navy.

"What exactly do you want me to do?" Vitoria asked, frustration laced her voice as she paced the study in her dress. Will went up to her and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"I do not like this any more than you do and I would much rather it be someone else." Will said, but suddenly, his eyes went wide. "Why did I not think of this before?!" He threw his hands up in the air and hurried to his desk, pulling out parchment and ink. "Of course."

"Father?" Vitoria watched her father frantically scribble on parchment and then sealed it with wax. She was questioning what was running in his head.

"I need you to bring this to a courier and make sure he has a fresh horse. This must go today." Will handed her the message and she nodded, running out of the study as fast as she could. "Oh please be there Old Friend. I must keep my Vitoria out of harm's way."

Two weeks later came a reply, but not the one Will was hoping for. His Old Friend said he was unable to offer help in the matter because his apprentice was focused on escorting a French ship and then was sailing to the Bahamas. Old Friend regretted not being able to help, knowing that Vitoria would not last in a battle such as this, but it must be done. Will's heart ached and broke.

"Vitoria, my Dear child, I have failed you." He said before sitting down at his desk and weeping.

When the night came for her to depart, she ate dinner with her father who was a little on edge and sweating. She had never seen him sweat so much before nor did she see him look so old. He had aged more in weeks than he had ever done in years. Something was off, but she ate her food and drank her wine. Snow had begun to fall outside the day before and hadn't let up. She feared the worst.

"Vitoria, if you must kill, remember that they will kill you first. You are their enemy and no matter what it takes, you must survive. I cannot guide you anymore, but I will see you home and safe." He said it with conviction. A strong but soft tone that went straight to her heart and buried itself there. "Steele your heart away for it will never be the same if you do not."

She felt a tear trail down her cheek as she stood from her seat and turned to go up the staircase to her room. It wasn't until she saw her outfit and bracers laid out on her bed that she realized she was one of many that would have to sacrifice. The black leather bracers with the Assassin symbol in silver was just one sort of weapon, she had one pistol and a bow with a quiver full of red fletched arrows. In the time of Queen Elizabeth, her family had been lead by William Grey, known as the Black Rider. He had brought down many a Templar under the Queen's reign, but in the end, had lost two sons to her wrath.

It was her turn, whether she wanted it to be or not.

It was an hour later when Vitoria came down the stairs dressed in her gear with her hair braided and weapons attached to her back. Her father had not come to say goodbye for he couldn't bear to watch her go. He worried for her, even though he had taught her since she could walk to defend herself and fight. She could kill, her brother had made sure to teach her to free run and she did so with ease. She took a deep breath and walked forward to the door.

_On the other side of this door, the world is no longer safe. It is my duty, my purpose, to protect the innocent. It is the truth that is also the lie and I must know right from wrong. I will not let sorrow bring on vengeance or pain distracts me. I will survive. _She thought, opening the door and letting the cold winter air hit her body like a wall. "Nothing is true." Vitoria put her hood up, the cowl in the shape of the familiar beak and stepped forward into the cold night. "Everything is permitted."

Vitoria rode fast and hard towards the York River, where a ship was waiting for her to board. She had no idea who she would be meeting, but she was already starting doubt herself. It would be close to dawn before she reached her destination and she was already feeling the strain of her emotions running her thin. She had to put her emotions aside for everything to work. She had always been able to keep her emotions in check, but in the last year, she had difficulty. She didn't know if it was because she was forced into something she really underestimated or if it was because of her father.

The thoughts had swirled around in Vitoria's head for a while and for a while, to pass the time, she went through the history of the Order. Though she had never been officially inducted, she knew the stories and the history. Her father made sure to imbed it in her head. She had never known why he drilled the Order and its history into her, but somehow, she felt it useful now. So many things were rolling inside of her that it was hard to concentrate.

She thought of many things, felt many things, and all before dawn. She couldn't allow herself to dwell on what could happen or the 'ifs' only because it was worthless to do so. Vitoria began to think logically, only looking to facts and focusing on a plan of action. It was one of the first things Thomas had taught her and she would not let him down.

As the sun rose, she could see the expanse of water before her and several ships on the horizon. One ship in particular was waiting for her to board and meet the others. She was ready, or so she thought. She urged her horse forward through the deep snow and with a sense of dread she realized she may be going to her death.

Just as the Sun made it a little ways past the horizon, Vitoria had dismounted and walked to the dock where her vessel was waiting for her. As she got closer, she realized something was off. None of the crew could be seen, so she tentatively strode up the gangplank to see what she could find. No one was there to greet her. She thought that maybe the crew was just beneath, but the sound of anything below was absent.

"It is very unusual to sneak up on an Assassin." A voice said from behind her all proper and British. Vitoria closed her eyes, feeling utterly humiliated that she managed to get into a bind already. "You can relax, I only wish to talk." She did not turn around, just stood where she was with her head hung. "When Lord Dunmore sent me a letter saying there was an Assassin following him, I was surprised. A second Assassin. He failed to mention that this Assassin was a woman." She sighed and turned around to get a look at the man behind her.

"Who are you?" She asked with as stern a voice she could muster without giving away her true emotions. She felt intimidated by this man and his pretentious air, but she would not show it.

"You can call me Haytham." He said with a slight bow of the head. He wasn't her enemy, at least not yet. She was no fool though; she could see he was a threat with her vision. An aura of red danced around him unlike her friends and family. Lord Dunmore, however, had the same aura around him.

"Vitoria." She said being polite about it, for even enemies could be civil to each other when having harmless conversations. Haytham's eyes lit up in surprise.

"William Grey's daughter. How interesting." He said with a flare of curiosity. It seemed he was aware of her heritage, but didn't seem to want to hurt her for it in any way. "The last time I saw William was when he tried to stop me, long ago before you were born. We have some history together, he and I. Of course he thought I was just being young and foolish, but as you can see, I knew exactly what I was doing." What he said seemed to hit something deep within her and the way he said it didn't help the feeling either.

"Templar." She said softly, holding in her emotions. She was suddenly aware of everything around her. Red aura's popping up from beneath the deck of the ship. "What do you want with me?" She blurted out, putting a hand to her chest in order to feel her rapidly beating heart. She was suddenly seized from behind, showing her weakness.

"I truly do not want to kill you." Haytham said stepping forward and removing her hood, revealing her auburn hair. "You are too beautiful to die, but I cannot have you messing in affairs that you do not truly understand." He ran a finger down her cheek and her eyes went wide. He truly did have a sorrowful look on his face and then she suddenly understood. She was going to die if she didn't do anything about it.

Vitoria started to struggle; using every ounce of her strength to free herself, but the man behind her only grunted and held her more tightly. The idea to step on his foot and try to run away was a false one as she knew this was a man that could easily ignore the pain. Instead, she resorted to the more sensitive parts of his body. Going completely still, she suddenly threw back her head, hitting the man in the nose causing him to groan. Then she lifted her heel and his him in another sensitive area between his legs, this time causing the man to howl and let go of her. Pulling out her pistol, she hit him on the head with the wooden handle, knocking him out. Now that she was free, she reached for the nearest man and pulled out his saber.

She was aware of another man coming up behind her when she held her breath and rotated the saber to where she would be able to thrust it behind her. When she did she was vaguely aware of everything around her but the splash of blood that had landed on her hand. This caused her to drop the sword in shock, but she recovered in time to aim the pistol at another man coming at her. Pulling the trigger was hard and she felt every pure thing about her become tainted. So far, she had taken two lives, who were just taking orders.

Vitoria turned just in time to duck under the butt of a musket and plunge her hidden blade into his stomach. When she grabbed the musket out of his hands, she spun and shot the next man coming at her, then used the musket like a bat to knock out the next one. It was then she saw her opening and she ran for the railing of the ship, but before she got there, there was the bang of a pistol.

Hit in the shoulder, the force of the impact threw her forward and she was only able to catch herself on the railing of the ship, almost hitting her head. The pain was unbearable and then she heard Haytham's footsteps come closer. She wasn't ready to die yet so she had her blades ready, instead though, the Templar's foot hammered down on her left wrist and arm, breaking it. She screamed in pain.

"Did your father teach you anything?" The man said, with pity in his eyes. "He sent you unprepared and it will cost you more than just your life. I imagine that this will be the end of the Grey family." Her eyes went wide and nothing could stop the flow of tears. "Please don't cry, it isn't your fault that this happened. If anything, blame your family." He said before nodding to a red coat next to him. "I'm not going to kill you, but I will make sure you stay out of this for good." She felt the red coat pick up her legs by the ankles and tie them tight. "I am truly sorry." Then there was the terrible pain of the butt of a musket meeting her skull and then darkness.

There was light all around her, sunlight to be exact. She was standing in a garden outside of a castle with fresh snow on the ground. In the distance, standing beside a tree was a man. He was tall and lean. Grey eyes danced with youth and blond hair caught the sunlight. He was dressed in black, a hood attached to his outfit and heavy boots made of fine leather. A dagger was hanging from his hip and a bow was strapped to his back. Not too far from him was a black horse and as she stepped closer, the horse looked at her with gentle eyes.

"Parasites have plagued this tree. It will not bloom in the spring." The blond man said as she approached him. "Pity, it was a very beautiful tree, but…" He bent down and pushed some snow out of the way to reveal dirt and picked up an acorn, showing it to her. "It left behind seeds of hope." He put the acorn in a pocket above his heart.

"I knew I was going to die. I didn't have the heart to do it like I thought I did." Vitoria said softly and sadly. The man picked up on this tone and looked at her with sorrow etched on his face.

"You blame yourself?" He asked and she nodded looking away and down at the ground in shame. "You shouldn't. Someone else is to blame and you will find out who it is." He gave her a smile. "When everything is done, come find me."

"Who are you?" She asked for the second time that day, confused.

"You know the answer to that." He gave her a smile, the same smile she had seen on her father's face many times. "You will know where to find me, but now is not the time." He said putting his gloved hands on her shoulders and kissing her forehead. "Now, time for you to go back, it's getting colder." He said softly as the sun went away and snow started falling. She closed her eyes as he walked away.

When she opened them again, he was nowhere to be seen but the tree had changed into one of full bloom with white flowers. The air started to get colder and she could hear thundering booms in the distance. There was a wet feeling on her shoulder and pain began radiating up her arm as though she were injured. She looked down at her hands as darkness descended on her.

Blood; red as the darkest of rubies and wet like red wine.

Opening her eyes, Vitoria noticed she was in a very small space. It was wet and very cold, so cold that she shivered. She looked up and saw the gray sky, no sign of the sky. The steady rocking motion told her she was on a ship, but the taste of salt was on her lips. She couldn't stand, her ankles where tied and so were her hands. What had happened? Where was she? She did not know. She knew she was in a barrel from the slats of wood and the cork. She knew if she could pop the cork out of the airing hole, she could see where she was and she very slowly raised her tied hands to push against the cork.

She yelled out in pain as she pushed against the cork with her broken arm and after several tries she managed to pop the cork out. She painfully moved her head to look out and with chattering teeth, she saw nothing but cold gray sky and a cold sea. She began to realize that she wasn't on a ship, she was in a wine barrel in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Cast adrift to die so Haytham could have a clear conscience. He left her to fate and this set her in a panic. She began to cry, to scream, to yell and thrash. None of this did no good and slowly but surely the cold began to freeze the tears she shed on her face. There was no warmth, only a cold wind and a colder sea.

Vitoria shivered and counted the hours. Surprised that she had made it this long and soon it would be dark. She knew that the darkness of night would be the last thing as the daylight took her life with it beyond the horizon and so she closed her eyes, giving up.

"Poor Lass." The Irish accent pulled her out of sleep and the feeling of arms around her. "Who would do such a thing?" The voice questioned. She groaned as she felt someone pull the ropes off of her ankles and wrist.

"I don't know, we best get her inside before she catches her death." Another voice said causing her to groan again. She was so weak she could barely open her eyes and when she did she only saw shadows against the light of the moon. How long had she drifted? "What do you say Captain?"

"She can have my quarters." A gentle voice said, one that held strength and confidence. She felt someone drape a wool blanket over her providing instant warmth and then someone picking her up.

"You're safe now Lass." Another voice said and she felt someone put a gentle hand on her head as a sign of comfort. "The Captain will keep you safe."

**I know what you are thinking, why put my characters though so much crap? Because, it just works out that way. **

**Anyway, I see that no one has even reviewed this story (which is way better than the original version) and I am a little upset about it…tears. Lots of tears. Jk. Oh and the guy in her 'vision' is based off of Tom Hiddleston (Loki from Thor if you have no idea who he is, he is naturally a strawberry blond) For some reason I can see him as an Assassin in the time period of Elizabeth, which is also what inspired my next story. Okay gotta go. Enjoy. More twists and the moment you all have been waiting for!**


	3. Discussions

**Didn't think I would be uploading as fast as I thought I was…oh well. **

_**Somewhere In the Atlantic, late December, 1775 **_

When Vitoria came to, there were two things that stuck out to her. One, that it wasn't as cold and two, it was dark. There were candles and a desk, but even in the fogginess of her mind she couldn't tell where she was. She just laid there, trying to understand where she was and what had happened to her, but all she got were flashes of memory. She realized as she laid there on a goose down mattress that she was on a ship somewhere on the Atlantic, somewhere safe as she remembered the voices telling her. She could hear rustling and the sound of a quill on parchment. The young woman tried sitting up, but the pain in her shoulder and wrist caused her to stop trying with a grunt.

"You should not be moving." She heard whoever it was in the room say, his voice calm and soothing. She heard the shuffle of a chair and the sounds of footsteps come her way as she closed her eyes. "Rest." She felt him pull the blankets up to her chin.

"Where am I?" She managed to croak out before he could walk away and she heard him sigh. When he didn't answer she started to cry.

"Far from where we found you. No one will hurt you again." It was the only answer he could give her and the only answer he knew would let her relax. He started to turn away, his footsteps firm on the wood, but he stopped. "You mentioned Williamsburg in your fever. Is that where you are from?" Vitoria sighed and opened her eyes to see a young man, not much older than herself. He was native, but not Shawnee, or Powhatan.

"Yes." She managed to whisper out as their eyes locked. Her sapphire eyes met his dark brown and he nodded. "My father." She choked out with a sob bringing her right hand up to cover her mouth as she began to wail and clenching her eyes tight. She realized that her father was in danger, if not already dead and she was probably dead to him now. Haytham would pay for this.

"I am sorry I do not know how to comfort you, but my thoughts are with you." She barely heard him but emotion in his voice was true sorrow. He felt for her and to that she was grateful. She continued to cry as he walked out of the cabin and she felt horrible for having him leave on her behalf.

It was morning when Vitoria realized that she had cried herself to sleep. She could her the seagulls crying as the vessel she was on rolled with the waves. She had no idea how long she had laid there before she tried getting out of the bed again. This time, despite the pain, she was able to. She looked at herself carefully inspecting her wounds that had been set and stitched. She wore a loose cotton shirt that was a little big for her, but it covered the important parts. Grabbing the blanket and wrapping it around herself as best as she could, she decided to venture outside of the cabin. Her hair had come loose from all the fuss causing her to have a disheveled look. She did not mind as she was in no mood to really care.

She opened the door to the cabin and stepped out in the cold air. It was almost refreshing if it were not the cause of the ache in her bones. She saw many sailors pulling on ropes and doing as they were told by a man yelling out orders. The man doing the ordering had a familiar voice, one that she remembered in her fever.

"Hop to it Lads!" She heard the man say and she turned around to look at her surroundings. "We need to get the Lass home!" She felt like she was in a dream. She walked further onto the deck and everyone stood still upon noticing her. She stared back at them as they all of a sudden got back to work.

"You should still be resting." He said from behind her. Vitoria had no idea where he came from, but he was silent as snow. She turned to see his face only a foot or so away from hers.

"I'm fine." Though she still felt weak she wasn't about to let a man order her around, but she did remember that he did save her from death. She shook her head and berated herself for her lack of politeness. "I'm sorry, I should be more courteous. It's just…"

"I understand. You do not go through something like that without being angry." He spoke as if he had once been in the same situation, but different at the same time. "I have had my share of pain." He towered over her, by a foot at least and somehow it was very reassuring.

"Thank you for understanding." She almost started crying again. "I'm sorry, I can't control myself. I am very grateful to you and your crew." She said while tearing up even more, putting a hand over her mouth to keep herself from sobbing. She felt his hands grab her shoulders as she began to fold in on herself.

"Easy." He had caught her as she went down even further, unable to hold herself up any longer. "You overdid it." He said scooping her up in his arms as she silently cried into his shoulder. He was nameless to her, but he supported her and saved her. She shouldn't be this trusting, but he made her trust him by his very presence.

"Vitoria." She said in a whisper between hiccups. "My name is Vitoria." He nodded and began walking to the cabin where she was before. Once inside, he placed her back on the bed and tucked her back in.

"Connor." A name to place with her savior and in that thought, she rolled onto her good side and continued to cry silently. "Rest. I will be close."

Once he was outside of his cabin, Connor returned to the wheel where Robert stood taking in the scenery. He was solemn and not sure what to think of the woman down below him. Women were complex and he honestly had no real idea how to act around them, though he felt that he may have been alright at it with Vitoria. At least he hoped. He was only nineteen and barely had time for women as it was. Whatever, or whoever, did this to her was going to pay for it and he only hoped that she would say something about it.

When she was brought aboard he had noticed she had a peculiar outfit on and upon closer inspection, he realized she was an Assassin. For his reasoning, he considered she had been in a trap and whoever did this to her wasn't willing to get their hands dirty. It was the only logical solution in his mind, but the one question on his mind was who? For now, he felt the answers would be in Williamsburg. He would bring her back to her father and do what he could for her. The Aquila was two days away from making port in Yorktown and from there Connor would escort Vitoria home as was the right thing to do. He would make sure she got home safe.

"Mr. Faulkner." Connor said getting the man's attention. "We we make port, find a horse and bring it to me. I will be escorting Vitoria home." Robert, who had been taking a sip of rum from his flask had spit it out suddenly.

"Vitoria? As in Vitoria Grey?" The older man asked with shock. Connor had a feeling he was about to find out something important about the girl down in his cabin. "If that's her, we need to get her home. Her father is very important to the structure of Williamsburg." It made sense now that Robert had said this and the gears were turning in Connor's head.

"How important?" The young man asked looking to Robert for information on Vitoria.

"Her father is William Grey, the Lord of Northumberland. I met him as a young lad when he came from England. Very mysterious he was then, shrouded in black and very dangerous. He paraded around as a nobleman during the day and at night, well, he was like you." Robert explained to Connor, who was pushing the pieces together as he turned the wheel, keeping the Aquila steady in the winter winds.

"What about Vitoria?" Connor asked, finding it important to find out all he can about the young woman.

"I didn't meet her until she was at least three, in Williamsburg. I had helped her brother Thomas get to England, he was a little younger than you at the time. Very much like William, only a little more serious. Good Lad; killed a year or so ago doing who knows what." Robert put his flask to his lips again and took another swig of rum. "The Grey family always had some sort of tragedy. I believe Vitoria is the heir to the title now, though if she had died, the title would go to her cousin. He isn't any good him. Works for the crown last I heard."

"Vitoria is important because she has title. I see now. Whoever did this, wanted to keep her alive and out of the way." The pieces came together in his head. Someone had done this to her, not to kill her, but to make sure she would survive. What easier way to do it than set her adrift to keep her away from Williamsburg long enough to kill her father. Vitoria would've most likely died before she would be picked up by a ship, but Connor had just happened to cross her path. "No doubt my father had something to do with this." He said silently to himself.

That night as the Aquila hit gentler waters, Connor brought food to Vitoria. It wasn't much, just potatoes and broth, but it was something. She happily accepted the meal, sipping it down as fast as she could. He sat at the desk, staring at the map and drawing out courses to whatever destination he felt like taking. To her, he seemed to have an adventurous life. A life at one point she had wanted, but now she was reconsidering it. She feared that she would be letting others down if she were to give up the right of being an Assassin, but she would not know, for she was one of the few.

There was silence between the two and as Connor stared at maps, she tried to stitch up her black outfit. After having been asleep for most of the day, Vitoria was thankful that Connor kept her company even though he seemed to ignore her presence. She felt she should take the opportunity to get to know him a little more, but could not find an excuse to ruin the comfortable silence.

"Have you ever been to Williamsburg?" She asked out of the blue causing the young man to look up at her. She motioned for him to come sit with her, but he instead dragged his chair and placed it next to the bed. He sat in it with his arms hanging on the back of the chair, like normal for him she supposed.

"No, I have not. What is it like?" He asked in return. Vitoria smiled, seeing how relaxed he looked after shedding most of his outer layers. All he wore now was a shirt and pants, of course, his boots stayed on his feet.

"Peaceful. Well, it was until Lord Dunmore started to rally the slaves to his cause. Do not get me wrong when I say slavery is a horrible thing, I oppose it. I have former slaves working under me, but they are paid to do so and they do it with no questions asked." She smiled sadly causing Connor to raise an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, that was off topic. I just get so riled up when subject comes up." She shook her head and continued sewing.

"Do not be sorry for something you believe is wrong and are passionate about. I too have that in common, though I do not understand why it is…" He stopped, trying to find a word for it.

"Taboo? Yes, I don't understand as well, but I try not to think about it. They are human, just like you and I. Yes I have pale skin and you have darker skin, that of the first true people of this land, but we are still human." She said and let out a small cry of pain as she pricked herself with the needle. Sewing with an injury was harder than it looked. "We all bleed red." Vitoria said holding up her finger with a drop of blood. Connor nodded and watched as she sucked on her finger to stop the blood flow.

"Some more than others." He replied with assurance and Vitoria looked up with her finger still in her mouth. She took it out after she realized she was probably being inappropriate.

"Oh…yes." She blushed as she put her hands in her lap. "Connor, I am sorry about my behavior today. I still hurt emotionally." She almost cursed herself for being so polite, but perhaps it was to be addressed. She looked down at her hands, seeing her left one a little worse for wear she reasoned that it could have been a lot worse. "You have been so kind and I feel I haven't been so, but I guess it is just the situation. I am very grateful."

"You do not have to apologize. I only do what is right." She smiled at him in response and put her hand on top of his. He was slightly taken aback by her action, having never really liked contact much, but hers was gentle. Like a mother's.

"Thank you for doing what is right." He heard her say when he looked down at her hand. Looking back up at her, he could see the honesty in her gaze. It wasn't every day when a woman even thought about touching him, but she did and it really didn't bother him. He cleared his throat. "Oh sorry." She sheepishly pulled her hand back to her.

"It is fine, I just never let anyone touch me." Connor suddenly felt as though he had offended her. He knew women liked to touch and love on things. "Much." He added.

"What a relief." Vitoria said smiling. "I thought you weren't real for a moment." Her smile went away when he looked at her confused. "Never mind, that was a silly joke." She said looking slightly embarrassed. She brought her outfit up to inspect her work, thinking it wasn't bad, but she would need to get it repaired when she reached Williamsburg.

"You should rest some more." Connor said to change the awkwardness in the air knowing that she was still weak. "Tomorrow, if you feel fine, I will show you the Aquila." She brought her outfit down to meet his eyes with her own.

"I would like that very much." She smiled at him and then yawned. He stood up and grabbed his chair bringing it back to his desk. "Good night Connor." She said, laying down and covering herself with the blanket. Within minutes he could hear her breathing slow, letting him know she was sleeping. He looked over to her from where he sat and half smiled at her before going back to the maps. After an hour, he had fallen asleep in the chair, just like Achilles would do.

The next morning, Vitoria was awoken by the sound of cannon fire and the sounds of men scrambling outside on the deck. Instinct told her to stay put, but her curiosity got the better as she bolted out of the bed, cringing in pain as her shoulder protested. She quickly put on her outfit and made her way to the door. When she opened it, she saw the crewmen loading cannons as a British frigate had become too close to the Aquila. The frigate was preparing to board and when she looked around, Connor was nowhere to be seen.

"Lass, get back inside!" She turned around to see a familiar man, one she had met as a child.

"Mr. Faulkner?" She questioned as he grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her towards the cabin.

"Aye Lass, but now is not the time to catch up." He pushed her inside the cabin. "The captain is aloft, doing whatever it is he does in this situation. You best stay in here where it's safe." He shut the door behind him, but she knew he didn't lock her in. With a huff she quickly scrambled around for some sort of weapon, looking through chest after chest until she came across one with Native looking attire. Inside there was a bow and quiver, but she knew it would be hard to shoot with a broken arm. Her eyes settled on a tomahawk. This she could throw with her right arm easily.

Vitoria went back outside just in time for her to see Connor jumping down from the rigging on the other ship. He was moving like a demon cutting down red coats left and right. She wanted to help him. Getting a running start, she ran to the railing and stepped up with her left foot, using it as a boost to help her across the gap. She was able to clear it and land in a roll on the frigate, catching the nearest red coat on the back of the leg before wounding him in the back.

She was able to use her forward motion to propel her into the next man, who she jumped onto, wrapping her legs around his neck and leaning back far enough to pull him forward with her flipping him. The man stared up at her with blue eyes as she drove the tomahawk into his chest. It was like killing was coming easier to her and with that thought, she stood up. Swinging her leg out and hitting another red coat in the face before she ran to the nearest thing to propel herself off of into another. She couldn't climb and she only had full use of one arm, so she used her legs to help her.

She threw the tomahawk into a man coming at her with a musket, hitting him in the face and then jumped on him as he went down, retrieving her weapon. It was then that she became surrounded on all sides. She was breathing heavily, her arm aching and her shoulder bleeding again. It was then that she found an extra burst of energy, running up to the nearest man, she grabbed the barrel of his musket with her broken arm and pointed it away from her as he shot. The bullet hit another man in the chest and she smiled before digging the tomahawk into another man. It was short lived though when a hand grabbed her wrist, forcing her to stop.

Connor grabbed the tomahawk out of her hand and threw it hitting a man charging at them in the head. There was only a few red coats left and they had surrendered after that, but he was more concerned about Vitoria. He looked at her anger in his eyes before going over and picking up the tomahawk out of the skull it was currently in.

"Mr. Faulkner, please bring Miss Grey back to my cabin and tend to her shoulder." It was clear to her when Robert grabbed her by the elbow again, that Connor had kept some things from her and she realized that she was not that honest with him either. She never told him how she ended up adrift in a barrel if only because she still hurt from it, but now, she knew that she had to explain.

"Come on Lass. Lets get you patched up." Robert said gently walking her away from the carnage.

Connor surveyed the frigate he stood upon. He did not know if he was angry about Vitoria running into battle wounded, or if he was angry at himself for underestimating her. Clearly, she could defend herself, but at the cost of her stupidity. She could've gotten herself killed and though he may be able to carry on in a fight with minor wounds, he knew when enough was enough. This was just her trying to prove herself after a failure and unfortunately, he knew how it felt. He had almost made a huge mistake before after trying to prove himself and he was sure he would make more mistakes in the future that would probably bring him near death.

He wasn't willing to risk Vitoria.

**I feel like dancing…I got a review! **

**Deadly Papegoja, you are my hero. You make me happy. **

**And now I am off to see How to Train Your Dragon 2. Peace and may the odds be ever in your favor…wait no that isn't right. Peace and lets kill some Nazis…no not it either. Oh I know. I am burdened with Glorious Purpose…yes that shall do. **

**(is very giddy) **


	4. Night Ride

**I suppose we should see what is going on with Vitoria's father in this chapter. So here we go. **

_**New Year's Eve, 1775 **_

Connor had come to her after the fight between the Aquila and the British frigate, asking her how she had been cast adrift in a wine barrel. The conversation was tense, but Vitoria pushed through her emotional distress, replacing sadness with anger. He had apologized for seemingly being angry with her, when he knew what she was already, but he made it clear that she was not to put herself in danger anymore when she was still wounded. It was stupid on her part and she apologized for making him worry, though he wouldn't admit to her that he was worried. They had become somewhat friends as she stayed in his company. There was no real verbal argument, just a solemn promise that she would not do something stupid like that again.

Now though, they were approaching Yorktown, east of Williamsburg. Connor had predicted that it would take a half day by horse to get to Vitoria's home, thus arriving at night would be the best option, regardless of the cold weather. The roads would be clear and there would be no one to see him sneaking Vitoria into Williamsburg. It would be like she had never left and he hoped that was the case. He watched her standing at the bow of the Aquila with the moonlight casting her shadow. She had put on her black robes and was holding onto the rigging as the wind tossed her auburn locks.

Connor couldn't deny that she was beautiful, he would have to be a fool to deny it and most of his crew thought the same. When she fought, there was a certain grace in the way she carried herself even if she was injured. Though he only caught glimpses of her fighting, but Robert had said she was like a black fire dancing with the wind.

"Robert, take the wheel. I must go ready myself." Connor said to the older man standing next to him who put his flask of rum away to take the helm of the Aquila. The young man had felt the need to change into more comfortable clothes before making port.

Vitoria started at the darkened land around her as they sailed down the York River. She prayed to whoever was listening that her father was alive and well. The snow reflected the moonlight on the land causing an ethereal glow on the water and on the horizon. The warm lights of Yorktown could be seen and the ships at port were but ghostly shadows in the night.

"Are you ready?" She heard Connor say as he came up behind her, putting a hand on her good shoulder in good faith. She turned to face him, seeing a change of character almost. He looked proper in sailor's clothes, but this new outfit fit his personality even better.

"This suits you more." She said putting a hand on his arm to feel the fabric. It was a little rough and thick to keep the cold at bay. He looked at her upon hearing that it suited him and when she turned back to look towards Yorktown, he almost wanted her to turn back around. "I want to give you something when we get to my home." He nodded and stared with her.

It was so easy to be content in each other's presence, formalities were pushed aside and all walls were torn down, but they knew it was because they were part of the same cause. Though Connor felt like she didn't really want to fight and kill; he did not blame her for it. When she confessed that she really had no interest in killing men just for a cause, it gave him a look into her heart he supposed. Vitoria was thrown into someone else's war without her consent and he did not blame her father for it because he was just as unlucky as her. Connor did not know what caused William Grey to become an Assassin and leave his land for the Colonies, but he was sure it had something to do with the Templar Order.

He was certain that whatever the case, Vitoria was to be in no part of this war. The fact that she had already been subjected to the cruel ways of men had made his blood boil and he knew that she would be part of some plot later on.

It was not long before both Connor and Vitoria were walking down the gangplank to meet up with Robert who had secured a horse. The horse was dapple grey with a silvery mane and tail, one of the finest horses she had ever seen. She wondered where it had come from, but all Robert said was that it was that it was on loan from a generous man and that they needn't worry about having back quickly. Robert then said that the owner was going away for a while and that it would be a waste to see the horse go unused.

Vitoria and Connor looked at one another feeling a little suspicious, but Robert assured him that the matter was handled appropriately. This put both the Assassins at ease and in doing so, Connor took the reins from Robert before swinging up on the grey horse's back. He held out a hand to Vitoria who with Robert's help, was able to sit side saddle in front of Connor.

"Safe journey Lass." Robert told her as she and Connor adjusted themselves to be more comfortable. She felt Connor put his arms around her waist and grip the reins so he could steer the horse, who was waiting for a command.

Giving the horse a gentle squeeze with his calves, they rode forward at a slow canter and the rocking made Vitoria feel much more tired than she had been in ages. Connor felt this when not even an hour of riding had passed by she had went slack in his arms. Her head rested on his chest and for the first time, he was at a loss. He did not want to wake her, but he also felt a little uncomfortable. He had slowed the horse down to a walk, to give him a break, but now it was harder to keep Vitoria from falling off.

It was past midnight when Connor woke Vitoria from her rest. She had taken to holding onto his clothing when she slept, but at least he tried to act like it didn't bother him for her sake. Sometimes he thought he was too kind for his own good, but then again, he wasn't to some people. Some men would see the broad side of a tomahawk before being asked anything.

"How far away are we from home?" Vitoria asked groggily and readjusted herself in his arms. This action resulted in an elbow to his stomach, causing him to grunt. "Oh sorry." She said sheepishly.

"We are an hour away." He groaned out recovering from the accidental elbowing to the gut. All was silent again after that, but Vitoria was curious about him.

"Connor, where are you from?" She asked him as curious as she could possibly be while looking up at the clear sky. The stars were beautiful, like a million tiny diamonds on black velvet.

"Kanatahseton, in the Mohawk Valley." He said with a small degree of sadness that made him seem more mysterious. Vitoria took it to heart that he was holding back part of himself and she hoped that one day he would be able to let whatever happened in his past go.

"So then, Connor isn't your real name." She said causing him to look down at her with mild shock in his eyes. "You don't have to tell me your name now, but one day, I would like to hear it." Then she added with a smile on her face. "When we trust each other."

"Alright. When we trust each other." Connor said gently to her. "It is my turn to ask a question." She looked up at him with her sapphire eyes waiting for the question. He didn't know how to form the question without causing some disturbance. "Why did your father leave England to come here when he had land and title there?" It was a question that she truly didn't know the answer to, but she would answer it the best she could with what she knew.

"My brother told me it was because my father had gotten tired of following the king's orders, but I see now that it was a completely different purpose. I believe now that it was because my father wanted to help the Colonies become independent from the Crown." Vitoria said looking down at Connor's bracers and tracing the pattern on the leather. "I truly don't know the reason why, but that is what I figure."

"I am sure you will find out the truth." Connor said knowing that the story was in need of finishing, but he wouldn't press the matter anymore. Vitoria seemed to still be fiddling with the bracer on his left arm deep in thought and still quite tired. "Do you often fiddle with things while in thought?" He asked with a curious tone and she suddenly drew her hand back to her. "It is fine, but it seems like a dangerous habit." If there was more light she would see the smallest smile on his face at her reaction.

"It's a nervous habit I suppose." She smiled and looked up at the stars. "When I was a girl, I would fiddle with the lace on my dresses when waiting for my brother to come home. I would be so nervous that sometimes I would accidently tear the lace and I can remember fairly well that Marie would fuss over it for hours while she repaired my dresses." She started to fiddle with her hair now, her good hand taking a lock of auburn tresses and twirling them around one finger. "And then there was the nail biting, hair pulling, and the knuckle cracking. Oh Marie would get so annoyed with it she would slap my hands every time I even thought about doing one of those little habits."

"She sounds stern." Connor replied to her little confession of bad habits, not without any of his own, but he chose not to tell her those.

"Oh she was and it was even worse when I became older. Especially when I started to physically mature." The last part she blushed at, feeling like he would not understand the ways of womanly woes. "Emotions running rampant and tantrums; I do not think she knew how to handle it. In the end though, she was always there when I needed her." Fond memories of Marie, her nanny, ran rampant through her mind and some even made her smile.

"I have someone like that in my life, but he and I tend to argue over who is wrong or right. Not over nervous habits." He confessed, though this did not stop Vitoria from having a small laugh. He reminded her of Thomas and her Father. Arguing over who was right and wrong seemed to be all they were good at. "What is so funny?" He looked down at her in annoyance.

"That is all men ever seem to do. Argue about who is better or who is right. My brother and father always fought because neither of them could admit to being in the wrong. It was always someone else's fault or something always going wrong. It was really tiring to hear it all the time." She explained just enough to express her point of view to him, but as far as Connor was concerned, he just didn't get women.

"That is not all we do." He said to defend his gender. He never thought to be having a conversation like this with a woman before. "We have other things that we do." She laughed at this.

"Like what?" She said in between laughs. "Looking at gorgeous women? Drinking ale? Oh I know boasting about the large elk you shot down last winter?" Vitoria couldn't contain herself and Connor was beginning to understand that there was no point in arguing with a woman.

"No, I never said I did that." He defended himself, proving to her that he was stubborn. "The last part may be slightly true, but I never boast about it." Her laughter died down a little when she saw that he was serious. "My people never boast about a kill to feed ourselves, I do not drink much, and I certainly do not look at women like that because it is not right." He said with vindication. She stopped her laughing altogether.

"Okay, you win." She said with a slight smile on her face. This confused him and it wasn't like he was really arguing, more like educating. How did she just give up like that? He raised an eyebrow, thinking that this was some sort of trap. "But what do you do besides that?" It was always a question that would let men know that they truly did not win an argument with a woman.

"I…uh." Connor stumbled to find an answer to the question that caught him off guard. He had clearly thought it was over. "It seems like you won this argument." She grinned in triumph at his sigh of defeat. "I have won many arguments, but I have never lost to a woman before."

"It will not be the first time, Connor. I am sure you will get better at it over time." Vitoria said placing a hand on his arm again in comfort for his defeat and her success. "Women are cunning and not as honest as you would think they are." He nodded in understanding. "Don't be upset about it though, there are some who are honest and caring, but you should know that we are in it to protect."

"To be honest, I have never had such a conversation with a woman before or even been around one long enough to understand them." He seemed genuine in his confession, but she had known this a long time ago. The way he would feign contact and avoid certain subjects made her put the pieces together. She pitied him a little, but one day she knew he would find someone to spend the rest of his life with. The least she could do was prepare him for it by giving him her point of view. "I never had the time to really."

"I suppose learning to be an Assassin has its drawbacks. I had few friends growing up all because my brother insisted I learn to fight. I feel it was the same for you." She said and felt him nod in confirmation. They were alike, yet so different. "Well, if it means anything, you are my friend now." Vitoria smiled and met his eyes.

"It does mean something." He said and she swore she saw something in his eyes akin to mischief. It wasn't until she felt him poke her in the side that she knew. "It means that I can get away with this." She laughed so suddenly that the horse they rode on jumped a little. So, there was a playful side to this stoic man.

"Well, I for one, am ready to be home." She said when she calmed down. "I miss my father and I feel like I am going to break down the moment I walk in the door despite how I am right now." Connor didn't understand what she was implying, but he assumed it was because she was going home. "Little girls often look to their fathers for protection." He heard her say with the tiniest hint of sadness in her voice. He had a feeling that she was also cluing him in on something for the future.

"We are almost there." He said to her as she stared up at the stars again.

"I just realized that it is now the year of seventeen hundred and seventy six." She smiled, not really caring about the year, but feeling it was going to be a rather eventful one for both of them. "Happy New Year, Connor." He thought the same as they rode the rest of the way in silence together to enjoy what little time in one another's company they had left.

It wasn't too long before Vitoria saw the familiar sight of Williamsburg and her heart soared in anticipation. Connor felt dread for an unknown reason. He felt as though he were walking into something that shouldn't be, but in spite of this, he kept his feelings to himself. He did not want to spoil Vitoria's return to her father. He wondered about the feeling though, if it was one of impending danger or dread that he would never see Vitoria again. Surely he had not gotten attached to her that quickly?

"Which house is yours?" He asked her as they became closer to the center of Williamsburg. She pointed to the white mansion behind the Capitol building and that was when he noticed her trembling. "Are you cold?" Connor asked gently.

"No, just nervous. Something doesn't feel right." So she had the same feeling. It was utterly quiet in the town, not even the tavern had much noise. This had tipped her off to something awful.

"Perhaps I should knock on the door first?" Connor asked and received a nod in response. He knew she could handle herself, but he didn't want to chance her being hurt again.

"I will follow you." She said quietly as they came to pass the court house and the magazine. Connor took this time to pick up the pace and squeezed the horse into a trot. He could tell that the pace was not fast enough for her.

When they passed the capitol building, Connor noted that it was impressive. It was not like other buildings he had ever seen before. He knew it was supposed to be different, but it was very different. It stood out. He took a second to look at it longer without noticing Vitoria smiling slightly at the scene before her. However, it ended when he halted the horse and climbed off. They had reached her home faster than she expected, but she was grateful.

Connor held a hand out to her to grab so he could help her down from the horse and when she did come down, it felt like her legs were unable to hold her up with all the nervousness. She stared at the hunter green door on her home, looking as though it had changed somehow, but it had not. Connor strode forward through the front gate, signaling for her to follow quietly. Once at the door he knocked three times and waited for someone to answer.

"Oh goodness, who would be knocking on the door this late at night?" They both heard a woman's voice that Vitoria immediately recognized.

"Marie?" She asked quietly causing Connor to look at her for a moment before the door opened to reveal an older plump woman with graying hair.

"What on God's green earth would give you the audacity to knock at this hour of the night?" The woman asked but stopped her rant when Connor stepped out of the way for Vitoria to come forward. "Oh blessed. Dear Child, where have you been?" Connor could see all of Vitoria's walls come down and see the tears in her eyes as she rushed into the woman's arms.

"I found her adrift at sea in a wine barrel, nearly dead and wounded." Connor spoke after what seemed like hours. Vitoria could not form words to tell the woman what she had gone through. "I thought it right to bring her home." He saw the older woman nod in thanks.

"Come in and sit, I will have James start a fire. There is quite a story for me to tell." That feeling of dread that had been bothering him felt even worse. It went from a bother to a full blown alert. He only felt that Vitoria would have more tragedy to come. "Come on child, let us get you warmed up." The woman said turning her attention to Vitoria who was still sobbing in her arms.

"Is there anything I can do?" Connor asked as he walked in and shut the door behind him.

"You can take your boots off and let them dry, then take Vitoria into the common room. Sit her by the fireplace while I go retrieve something from the study." She said as Vitoria went limp, but still stood. It was like she was not even aware of her surroundings. He did as he was told and went up to the auburn haired girl, putting an arm around her shoulders to guide her where he was told to. Never once did he think that he would have to take care of a woman in this manner and it was a little uncomfortable, but as he sat her down on the floor, he felt it was alright.

"He's dead isn't he?" Vitoria croaked out as Connor removed her boots from her delicate feet. He looked up at this and noticed she just stared ahead. Instead of answering the question, he stood up and lit the fireplace before sitting next to her. He had gotten use to being close to her overnight. "I know it because he would've been the first one to the door. He would've been waiting for me." It was when he saw her tears rolling down her cheeks that he knew her heart was broken, more so than when she was left to die. He didn't pull her into an embrace, nor did he offer words of comfort, he just simply sat with her.

He could not answer her question because he knew the feeling of loss.

**I am really starting to like my own story…huh go figure. As for Vitoria's internal battle, she was left to die and made it out, but now she has to deal with loss again. Remember, she lost most of her family to the Templars. Although I haven't mentioned it, Thomas did die at the hands of Haytham back in England. Her mother most likely died of illness and well, the rest of her family going all the way back was killed in one way or another by a Templar. **

**As for Connor and his woman troubles, remember that he wasn't really taught anything about how to deal with women. He respects them and admires them because of his cultural ties, but as far as dealing with them romantically, he is still a teenager at this point and he is curious in some ways. As far as him being romantically involved, he still thinks he has to finish what he started before he could have any relationship. Vitoria is unknowingly teaching him the ways of women. **

**Anyway, How to Train Your Dragon 2 was really good…loved it. **


	5. Parting Ways

**Totally had to redo this chapter because my headphones broke. I write better with music blasting in my ears. **

_**January 1, 1776 **_

There was only the sound of the fire crackling in the fireplace and Connor breathing next to her as they sat on the floor. Vitoria only stared into the flames with a broken heart, a hole that would never be filled again by anyone. Her love for her father had kept her going through this nightmare, although Connor had come into her life suddenly, she now felt empty. It seemed like the holes in her heart were becoming numerous as the years went on.

"Why did you become an Assassin?" She asked the young man sitting next to her. She did not know his story, but she felt she had a connection to him because of it.

"Several reasons; all of them important." Connor sighed as if he was holding something back from her, then he continued. "Templars burnt my village down when I was a young boy, my mother with it. I became an Assassin to avenge her, because I loved her." He said bringing his knee up and resting his elbow on it. She heard the pain in his voice, it radiated her own.

"Then you know what it's like." Vitoria said causing Connor to look at her. She was changing before his eyes and no doubt loss had a lot to do with it. He knew she was still Vitoria, but there was now a coldness there that wasn't really prominent before.

"I do, but it does not mean you have to seek revenge." He assured her as she stood up from the floor and began to walk towards the stairs.

"No, I don't want vengeance or an answer as to why, but merely to prevent other from feeling this pain." Vitoria looked back at him with a small sad smile. "Thank you so much for what you have done for me Connor and you may stay the night if you wish." He nodded as she ascended the stairs to her bedroom and relaxed when he heard her door shut. He sat there on the floor alone and thinking about what happened.

"The first door on the right is the guest bedroom." He heard Marie say behind him and stood up to grab his boots. He nodded his thanks before following Vitoria to the second floor.

When she had gone down for breakfast that morning she hadn't expected to see Patrick Henry conversing with Connor at the dining table. They had looked up when she entered the room, Connor almost doing a double take at her change in wardrobe. She had her hair pinned up and wore a sapphire blue dress made of the finest velvet. He had clearly gotten use to her in battle dress. They both stood up as she sat down at the head of the table, Patrick on the left and Connor opposite of her. She offered him a small smile that indicated her mood.

"Lady Grey." Patrick said with a smile of affection. "I am sorry for your loss. I admired your father for a long time, a true patriot." He said looking at her in the eyes with honesty.

"Thank you Mr. Henry. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" Vitoria said in formality that Connor had never heard her speak before. It was as if she was playing a part in a grand play. It confused him because she was one person around him, but in the socialite world, she was the queen on a chess board of pawns. She now had her father's role placed before her and she had taken it up with dignity.

"As you know, upon your father's death, you inherited his title and role in Williamsburg. I know that his role wasn't with the House of Burgesses, but it was an important role that has always been secret. I am sure Connor here, knows what I speak of." Patrick looked towards Connor, who nodded at her. "I have received a letter from someone of high importance saying that your title will be forfeit if you marry. This person may have ties to the Crown which is why he is threatening you. He has no right to say this or take anything away from you, but he must be very influential." It made no sense and the reaction on Connor's face said it all to her. The idea that she could not marry because her title would be forfeit was preposterous. Though if she were to marry, the title would go to her husband anyway and whoever sent this letter to Patrick was honestly looking out for her best interests.

"It is alright. This person is obviously looking out for my best interests regarding my family. The Grey family has an important role here and should I marry, my title would go to my husband and that would leave Williamsburg vulnerable." She said in understanding, knowing the underlying meaning in Connor's eyes from across the table. It seemed that he thought it was a falsity, but she put his fears to rest with a smile. "This person doesn't want me to pass down the Grey legacy. It seems I will be the last of the Grey's." Connor could see another hole forming in her heart at the idea of her never being able to have children. It was just too much for one person to take, but she kept up the façade.

"It didn't say anything about not having children, Vitoria." Patrick put a hand on hers upon seeing her sadness. "You can have as many children as you want. Yes it would be looked down upon because they would be born out of wedlock, but in the eyes of God, if you love the father of your children then you are married to him spiritually. I will not look the other way."

"Yes, but they would be mocked all their lives and I cannot have that Mr. Henry." Vitoria said with a degree of sadness that had settled into the room. Connor felt as she did, it would be unfair if he were in the similar situation. He was born out of wedlock by the Colonists standards, but by his people's he was never judged by it. This is where his anger at the British came from, at least partially.

"You're right. I'm so very sorry." Patrick apologized to Vitoria and to make things better he presented her with a letter. "This was left for you by the courier." Connor could recognize the handwriting from where he sat as light shown through the parchment as she opened it. Achilles.

"It's from an old friend of my father. He said should I need anything all I had to do is ask and he would send help." Connor couldn't help but chuckle a little, causing Vitoria and Patrick to look up at him. "What is so funny?" She said noticing that this was the first time she had seen him laugh a little.

"It is ironic that his 'help' is sitting in front of you." Connor said as he stood up to see the full letter. It wasn't very detailed, as expected, but it got the point across. "This is from Achilles, my mentor." He said reading the letter over Vitoria's shoulder.

"He seems very nice." Vitoria added but Connor held his tongue on the matter. If anything Achilles was stubborn. "Oh, he is the one you were talking about last night." She was glad that Patrick had no idea of the conversation between Connor and her, he would certainly not understand.

"Yes." The Assassin said with assurance, causing Vitoria to smile fondly. The conversation was about to continue when Patrick cleared his throat and coughed. Both Connor and Vitoria looked at him with worry.

"Well, yes, uh…I should be going now. I have much to do." Patrick said awkwardly as if he had stumbled into a conversation between two lovers. "A pleasure Lady Grey and Connor, it was nice to meet you." He said putting on his hat.

"The same to you." Connor replied as Vitoria stared in confusion. She watched as Patrick strode out the room and made his way to the front door, shutting it behind him with very little force. Connor strode over to the window and pushed the curtains aside to see Patrick getting on a dark bay horse.

"I wonder what that was all about." She said as Connor watched Patrick ride off at a brisk pace. "I've never seen him just leave like that before. Normally he is very talkative and…oh." She said putting the letter down on the table in front of him and looking up towards the ceiling. "He thinks we are in an relationship." She looked to Connor who had turned around to face her upon the thought of it.

"How can you be sure?" The young man asked her. True he had become close to her in the past few days, close enough to enjoy being in her presence, but that was as far as it went. Perhaps in the future, he thought, but then pushed it away as soon as it came up. There was no time for romance in his life. Friendship, yes, he needed friends.

"The way we spoke to each other and how close we were." She said turning in her chair to face him. "To a proper man like him, he would see it that way." She said before shuddering and letting out a small sob. Now that Patrick was gone, she was back to herself and she was not doing well internally. "Can I count on you to write to me?" She asked him after a few moments.

"That is what friends do, right?" Connor asked and received a tearful nod from Vitoria as an answer. "If there is anything you need, ask." He said sitting down in the chair next to her, with a concerned look on his face. For a stoic man, he sure showed his emotions around her more than any other and she felt honored to be able to see it.

"Thank you." Was the last thing she said before standing up to go to her father's study and go through his things. She had to figure out how he ran things, who he had for contacts was a starter. "I have to sort out everything he left behind." Connor heard her say quietly when he decided to follow her. It wasn't going to be easy, but he would have to leave her soon. He did not want to leave her in the state she was in, but there were more important things he had to do and he was sure she would tell him to go anyway. The Assassins came first. She knew that.

"I will have to leave soon." He said following her past the staircase and into a room on the other side. He walked in after and noticed every wall was covered with books, some of them hundreds of years old. He knew then that he had stepped into the library of an Assassin who had probably known the entire history of the world.

"Of course, I didn't expect you to stay this long to begin with and I am grateful that you did. I really needed a friend to be here." Vitoria said sitting down at the desk. She seemed colder than she was before, more business and less warm. He knew it was the grief. She didn't know how to handle it any other way. "I almost forgot." She said standing up again and moving to one of the bookcases. She pulled out a fairly old leather bound book. "This is a translated version of Ezio's account, which I think you would find very interesting. I've read it at least thirty times." She walked over to Connor and handed him the book. It was a bit dusty, but it looked in fair condition despite its age.

"I've never seen one in Achilles' library. Where did you get this?" He asked looking through it. There were many things that interested him and books seemed to be one of them.

"The original account was given to my family by Flavia Auditore before she died." Vitoria said leaving him to look through the book to go sit back at her father's desk and started going through the stack of papers on top. "It's yours now to pass on to your children." She said sadly. He felt for her, he truly did.

"Vitoria, do not give up." He looked at her sternly, as if something had snapped within him. Closing the book in his hands, he went up to the desk and leaned onto it with both hands, forcing her to look at him. "You will find a way to get around this. Even if you need my help to do it, you will find a way. Do not let go." They stared at each other for a few moments before he saw the dam burst. Tears came spilling out from her eyes and she became angry.

Connor could do nothing but watch her as she questioned everything. Verbally, mentally, and spiritually question everything that had happened to her in the past week. She didn't sob, but she did throw things with deadly accuracy, smashing to pieces. Then finally, she sank down to her knees and sobbed. He realized that it was his words to her that made her quit her grieving for her father and for children she thought she could never have. At this point he knew it was time for him to leave her alone to deal with everything.

"I must go. You need to be able to deal with your grief and I cannot help you with that. If there is anything you need, ask and I will come." He said going to help her up off the floor. She nodded as her tears began to subside and she knew he was right. She had to deal with this on her own.

"Thank you." She said looking up into his eyes and he nodded, not having to say anything after that. Vitoria went up to him hugging him; which made it slightly awkward for him, but he didn't push her away. Instead he wrapped his arms around her as much as he could without feeling uncomfortable about it. "Be safe." She said as they pulled away from one another.

"I will." Connor said before turning around and leaving her by herself. She didn't see him go, but the shutting of the front door and Marie's voice telling him goodbye left her with an empty feeling. She probably wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she knew she had started to fall in love with him. She knew that he didn't feel the same way and she was okay with that. Better to love from afar, than to not love at all.

Over the next few hours, Vitoria poured herself over the many unread letters and documents that her father had neglected or forgotten about over the months. Some of them made her cry, some of them made her scratch her head as to why he would let it go this long without answer. There was one from her aunt that dated back six months ago saying that her son was going to be coming to the Colonies at the end of winter. The dreaded Aunt Olivia who Thomas had complained much about when coming home from England and her son Alistair, who was Thomas' right hand man at twenty years old. He would be twenty-two this year. No doubt he was coming to stay or running away from his mother.

She could sure use help around Williamsburg if all the details were right about how some of the Colonists believed her father to be the true peace keeper of the city. He had contacts everywhere to help him know everything that went on in the Colony. Her father was a brilliant man and she would have to play his part from now on. At one point, he stopped working in the field leaving Thomas to take up that position to run things around Williamsburg politically. She was hoping that Alistair would do the same for her. She would have to build up trust with the other citizens and have some influence somehow in the House of Burgesses. She was sure she could hold sway with Patrick Henry if she befriended him enough.

So much work was put on her that she did not want to do it, but it had to be done before anything else could happen. Even though she mourned her father still, she would do what she needed in order to achieve freedom for the Colonies. Independence from the Crown was the top priority at the moment and the overall goal for all the Assassins.

Two weeks later Vitoria found herself at the dinner table with four of her father's contacts who were telling her that they suspected two others were double crossers sending messages to the Loyalists. She immediately ordered them to find the traitors and bring them to her within the month. She would deal with them personally and warned that any more traitors would be punished accordingly.

In late February, Vitoria had been sitting by the fire working on a pattern for her newest dress when there was a knock on her front door. Marie, who sat next to her in the chair, put down her needle work and sighed. Vitoria looked to her former caretaker and motioned she should get the door. The older woman huffed, rising to answer the door. Vitoria stayed sitting, not wanting to get up and face the person at the door. Part of her was hoping it was Connor, but she knew that it wasn't so.

"Vitoria, you have a visitor." Marie came into the room and stated. The young woman set down her needlework and rose from where she sat, smoothing out her green dress before walking out of the room. When she got to the door she was surprised to see a man not much older than her standing in the cold.

He was handsome with his dark eyes and curly dark hair that looked unruly but kept tied up. He wasn't clean shaven which meant he had not been able to do so. A traveler perhaps? He wore dark grey clothing that looked rather dirty and old, like he had worn it for days before even washing them. His boots were muddy and in need of repair, but other than that, he was in good health. Behind him was a dark bay horse loaded with saddle bags with the man's personal things telling Vitoria all she needed to know.

"Lady Grey?" He asked bowing slightly, his English accent heavy. "I'm sorry to impose on you this late, but I have just arrived from England and I would've waited another day, but I am broke." This caught her attention. She stepped closer to him, inspecting him with her vision seeing the blue aura around him. He was no threat and an ally.

"May I ask your name?" Vitoria said curiously as though she were inspecting his intentions. She was sure that she knew him from somewhere.

"Alistair Bradley." He said tiredly. "Your cousin." It made sense, but why was he here early?

"You can take your horse to the stable in the back and then come inside; we will talk then." Vitoria said with a smile and her cousin nodded in obedience. Her cousin was not of noble birth on his father's side, but her aunt was a Grey until she married Jonathan Bradley. She had lost her title with her runaway marriage, but Thomas saw potential in the young man and trained him to be an Assassin.

She hoped that Alistair would help her in the coming years to achieve independence.

**Yay! New Character! I bet you can't guess who he is based off of…hehe. **

**I'm going to stick to Vitoria for the next chapter regarding Alistair, then it's off to New York for the both of them to meet up with Connor who (If you haven't played the game, which if you haven't then you shouldn't be reading this story, you already know what Connor is up to in New York) has gotten into a bit of a bind. No worries! Things will work out fine! **

**Many thanks, Cookie. **


	6. Alistair

**I'm sorry if you haven't figured out the plot yet, that is because it is hidden at this point. The plot to this story runs parallel with AC3, Vitoria's battle with the Templars isn't as fierce as it is with Connor. In short Vitoria isn't going to be weak in any way, Alistair is like Jorah Mormont from Game of Thrones. He is there to help and advise Dany (Daenerys) and if necessary to kill for her except Alistair is not spying on Vitoria nor is he in love with her. **

**To Deadly Papegoja, Thank you so much for your review and yes, Vitoria is most defiantly a lady. She was trained to kill to a point, mostly to defend herself but was the last resort when her brother died. At this point she knows that her worth to the Assassins is by being a Lady and she is not afraid of getting down and dirty when the time comes. Although at first she didn't want to kill anyone, she ended up having to which I am sure you are aware of. Funny enough, the person that Alistair is based off of is also lending his voice to one of the characters of HTTYD 2. On a side note, your review has inspired me to pull an all-nighter. Peace be with you friend. **

_**April 1776 – Williamsburg**_

"Checkmate!" Vitoria yelled in excitement as she knocked over Alistair's black king on the checkered board. "I win and now you have to go to Yorktown!" The dark haired man pouted in defeat. He truly did not feel like going to Yorktown just to get the flag from the ship docked there. It had started out as a dare and then it quickly escalated to a challenge. "I will also take those coins too." She held out a hand to him across the chess board to which he placed the coins into with a huff.

"I suppose you would want me to go do your shopping for you as well." She giggled as she counted the coins in her hand with zeal. Alistair may have not been the best chess player, but he was very honest and loyal. He had been sighted following Vitoria around Williamsburg like a lost pup, but that was really not the case.

"Oh stop being a spoil sport, you know we had a bet and besides, you know you want to go. I know you fancy Claire." She said standing up from her chair and placing the coins into the pocket sewn into her red dress. He grunted in annoyance and leaned back in his chair. There were days when he wished he had never met Vitoria, but he would quickly remember why it is he came to the Colonies. Escape from his mother. Vitoria had begun to pick up the pieces of the chess set and placed them in the drawer of the small table underneath the board. "Besides, I was planning to have her come over for dinner next Thursday just so the two of you could speak. You really have to stop being shy." She said with confidence in her voice and fondly remembering someone else who was shy around women.

"I'm not shy." Alistair said sitting up straight in his chair at the accusation. He was certainly not shy, he just had priorities. At least that is what he told himself, but every time he saw Claire his heart would pound in his chest. "I just have other priorities."

"Alistair, I do believe that I do not believe you." His cousin said while fiddling with a white pawn chess piece. She gave him a pointed look as though she knew what was really going on within his heart. He sighed and defended himself.

"Of course you don't, you've known me for two months and you already see right through me." He said rolling his eyes and standing up going to the window to look out to see the many citizens of Williamsburg walking about from one place to another.

"I see through everyone." She said coming to stand next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "I think we should get out of this house today, maybe some of this spring air will do us both some good." He nodded as she walked away from him to retrieve a hat and her money pouch.

It was sometime later when the two of them walked down Duke of Gloucester street that Vitoria noticed the air seemed a little sweeter than inside her stuffy house. She lavished the smell of honeysuckle and wildflower as it was one of her favorite smells besides the smell of spring rains. It was such a delight, yet when she saw Alistair swatting at the honey bees flying around, she couldn't help but laugh.

"Don't swat at them, they will sting you if you do." She said laughing at him as he kept moving his right hand back and forth in front of his face as a honey bee buzzed around his head. "Just don't mind it and it will keep going." He did as she told him and held perfectly still, but instead of flying off, the bee decided to land on his lips. Vitoria watched as his eyes bulged and for a moment she thought he would panic. Instead he closed his eyes and hummed. "There you go." She said as the bee flew off.

"I remembered reading about bees being sensitive to vibration." Alistair said with a sigh of relief. It seemed even the bravest of Assassin's had a fear of the smallest creatures and this had a profound effect on Vitoria. She smiled and looped her arm through his to continue walking.

"I never thought I would see an Assassin cower at the sight of a bee." She said and Alistair glared at her for the comment. She giggled in reply.

"You must not know many Assassin's then." He stated as if he knew that all Assassin's hated bees, however, she knew that was not the case. Vitoria knew that not a day went by without her thinking of Connor in some way.

"Just one; other than you." She said fondly with a soft expression on her face. She wondered what Connor was doing, or even if he remembered her birthday. She had learned of his and sent him a hunting knife made from the finest steel so he would not have to use his hidden blade to skin an animal. She only knew of this because of the letter he had sent in February detailing the collection of animal hair that was blocking up the gears on his hidden blade. She had replied with a greeting of happy birthday and a hunting knife inside of a box wrapped in twine.

"Vitoria, snap out of it. Mr. Caldwell is coming this way." She heard Alistair whisper to her from the side. This had snapped her out of her daydream and forced herself to smile as the middle aged man came over to her with his wife on his arm. He wore the traditional tri cornered hat and his wife, Diana, wore an emerald colored dress with white lace. Her hair had grayed in some places giving her regal look as one of the more prominent figures in Williamsburg, although Vitoria knew that it was just a look and they really had no wealth at all.

"Lady Grey, how nice it is to see such a beautiful young lady out an about on a fine day such as this." Diana said greeting the younger woman with a smile, but her husband had a rather cross look on his face. Vitoria only curtsied as she avoided eye contact with the man. Alistair was standing still next to her but had bowed his head in form of greeting.

"You are too kind Mrs. Caldwell. We are merely getting some fresh air from being inside all winter." Vitoria said with a smile. It was no secret that Diana Caldwell had a soft spot for Vitoria as she had no children of her own, but Jonathan Caldwell, was another story entirely. He had no love for the Grey family and he showed it when he sided with Dunmore when the Gunpowder Incident took place.

"Yes, I did not get the chance to offer kind words to you about your father. He was such a good man, admirable and brave." Diana knew no bounds when it came to talking about other people and Vitoria saw opportunity in it. Though the conversation was awkward because of Jonathan's presence, Diana always knew how to dull the awkwardness. "I am sorry for your loss dear child."

"Thank you Mrs. Caldwell." Vitoria said gratefully. "I am glad Alistair was able to come from England, things have been much easier to handle with him here." She informed the older couple standing across from her.

"Someone saw you come back into Williamsburg riding a horse with some Native fellow, not this young man here." Jonathan accused with a suspicious look on his face. Vitoria knew she had to come up with a quick story to rectify the situation. The older man was someone to watch out for in the future.

"I'm sure you know that I had been visiting a friend in Baltimore when he had died. I had to get back home by ship and the captain was kind enough to escort me home, but there was only one horse for hire." She didn't break eye contact with the stern man, nor did her smile falter. Alistair could swear that there was a hint of hostility in her eyes that told the other man not to question her any more. "If anyone saw anything, it was completely innocent in nature."

"Yes, of course, My Lady." Jonathan said and Diana looked at him, seeing him gulp. He cleared his throat as Vitoria softened her expression a little. "Well My dear, we must be going. Good Day to you Lady Grey, Mr. Bradley." He bowed and walked off in hast nearly dragging his wife with him.

"Remind me never to anger you." Alistair said next to her as they started walking again, this time without any future interruptions. He was surprised at her boldness and knew from then on she could handle herself in many political situations.

"You would never anger me, only bother me." Vitoria replied with a small laugh at his shocked state to her conversation ending. "Besides, dear cousin, we are family. Family only annoys other family." If only that were at least partly true, but he put it aside. "I think we should pay a visit to the tavern. I am famished."

"Agreed." He said feeling the rumbling in his stomach. At least the bees were staying away, for the most part.

It was nearly sunset before Vitoria and Alistair began their walk back home with full bellies and a few rolls of fabric, which Alistair carried with dignity. A few yards of fine lavender and maroon silk were perfect for the next formal gathering, with cream colored lace to do the trimming. She was excited more than he was at this, although he did not walk away empty handed either. He was able to get enough horse hair for his violin bow and of course the parts for his crossbow, both were of the few things brought over from England.

"Now, I believe you have something to do tonight about that lovely British ship in Yorktown." Vitoria said, reminding him that he did lose a bet and did have to steal a flag. Of course it wasn't just the flag they were after, the ship was carrying and withholding mail. Vitoria thought it best for the people of Williamsburg and Yorktown that they do get their mail.

"Right. I'll be sure to get on that when we reach home." He said sarcastically stepping on to the threshold of the house. "Oh look, we're home. Now if only someone would relieve me of all this feminine debauchery." He raised his voice slightly and Margaret came out the door. Vitoria glared at him.

"Where did this behavior come from?" She asked him slightly angry at his sarcasm. She walked into her house and took her hat off placing it on the table in the foyer. Alistair followed after her but passed her going up the stairs to his room.

"It came from England!" She heard him yell as he slammed the door shut.

"Oh he is just a…right out arse!" Vitoria stated as she looked at the stairs and sighed when she realized it was probably her fault that he was acting like this. He had told her that doing things like this alone is what got her brother killed and it was also what got her cast adrift in a wine barrel after all. She sighed again making a decision. "Margaret, can you please go put these things away and make sure they are stored properly, we don't want them to be ruined." She said turning to the former slave woman with a smile.

The auburn haired woman went up the stairs to her room that was once her father's and shut the door behind her. She pulled on the candle holder next to the door and the bookshelf in the corner opened revealing her black outfit. She had made some alterations on it. She found the corset too uncomfortable to be doing any kind of leaping or moving, but still keeping to the original design she added more to it. It looked more like the eighteenth century than the sixteenth now. She added the lapels to her collar line and the gold buttons to the outfit so she was able to take the outer layers off if needed.

Not long after dressing herself, she exited her room and went down the stairs to the kitchen where Margaret was making dinner. She told the maid that her and Alistair would most likely be back by dawn the next day and to only make enough food for herself and James. The maid nodded and gave packed a sack with bread and cheese for their journey to Yorktown, then Vitoria went out the back door to the stables where Alistair was saddling his dark bay mare, Castina.

"You never told me where you got her from." Vitoria said entering the stables, moving to greet her own horse, Talisman. The gray horse was the very same one that Connor brought her home on not too long ago. She had sent Alistair to purchase the horse from the owner when he returned from his endeavors, to which the owner accepted the payment which was more than the horse was worth. She would not let such a beautiful horse go to waste.

"When Thomas and I were in France tracking down a templar, we ended up in Spain, Andalusia to be exact. The templar hid in a monastery thinking that he was protected by them, but instead they chased him out, so we followed. He killed a farmer and took one of his horses." Alistair said tightening the girth and checking the breast collar to see if it was secure enough. "The farmer's wife gave us two horses to get home on after we killed the templar."

"She does well for you to have come all the way from England." Vitoria said pulling her saddle off of the rack and throwing it on Talisman's back. "Spanish bred horses are fantastic, though she is the first one I've seen." She tightened her girth and then went over to where Alistair stood with Castina. "I'm sorry Alistair, for not noticing that you didn't want to go at this alone." She said stroking the bay mare's neck. Alistair shook his head.

"That isn't it. You act like my mother sometimes and granted it is annoying, but it is the reason I left England in the first place. I know you mean well, but you have to realize that I decide what is best for me and I understand that a lot is on your shoulders." He blurted out a little in frustration causing Vitoria to take a step backwards. "I want to help you in any way I can and you know that the moment I showed up on your doorstep, but please, step back when it comes to telling me what to do." He said before swinging up on Castina's back and trotting out of the stables, but he stopped and turned around, walking his horse back. Vitoria was preparing herself for another verbal rundown, but instead Alistair sighed. "I'm sorry I yelled at you, it was wrong of me."

"I know, you were upset and not because of me or your mother, something else is bothering you." Alistair looked down at her with a sad look in his eyes, something was bothering him deeply to the point he was lashing out.

"You should stay here and I'll tell you everything when I get home." He said turning his mare around and galloping off into the night. She worried for him only because he knew something she didn't and she suspected that it had to do with her title.

Vitoria returned to her room and shed her clothes, putting a light dress on before going down to eat dinner. She explained to James and Margaret that she would be eating light if not at all. She ended up not eating, just sitting in her father's study reading and waiting for Alistair to return. It seemed like the night went on for ages and it wasn't until Margaret came into the study in her nightdress to say there was someone at the door for her. Upon hearing this Vitoria became aware that it was early morning and Alistair had not returned yet, but to her relief, he had come in through the back and was sleeping on the sofa.

She went to the front door and found Robert Faulkner on the other side, sipping on his flask and looking very disturbed.

"Mr. Faulkner? What are you doing here this late at night?" She said opening the door and moving aside for him to come into the foyer. He stepped in and she led him to her study, motioning for him to sit.

"The Old Man, Achilles, sent me to fetch you and bring you to New York. There has been a bit of trouble going on with the Lad." Robert said causing Vitoria's heart to beat faster in her chest, but her outward appearance was that of concern. If Connor was in trouble, she knew instantly that something had gone wrong on his part.

"What do you need me to do?" She asked with determination.

"Come aboard the Aquila and sail for New York. Act like the lady you are and get Washington out of there." It seemed simple enough and with Robert knowing exactly what was going on, she had to trust him with this information. If Achilles was asking her to do something of great importance, she would do it with no questions asked. "Connor has landed himself in prison and will be executed for the accusation of plotting to assassinate General Washington. It's all folly if you ask me, but that is where we need you Lass." He said pulling out his flask and taking a swig.

"When do we sail?"

**Sorry if this chapter is a little shorter than the others, but I couldn't find a way to go on with it any more than this. It also ended up not being an all-nighter because I am a horse trainer and there is no such thing as late nights, there is only early mornings and early evenings for me (Meaning I fell asleep because I was so worn out). **

**Thank you so much for the review Whispered Shadows, much appreciated and yes I suppose this plot is pure awesomeness along with Alistair…he is just too awesome for words and I haven't even started on really getting to be awesome (totally like his character)**

**Thanks for waiting. **

**Cookie**


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